A War On Her World | TWD: D. Dixon

Ch. 23

》Notice: there's been a small change. The prison cell doors slide open instead of swinging open.《

Winter had only just begun its unmerciful attack on the lives of the people forced to flee their delusional safe haven on the farm. Everyone still fought off hunger with minimal supplies they managed to pack 'just in case', along with the food raided from nearby houses.

They all had travelled a fair distance from the farmlands when the first snowfall happened. The children, though defeated from their loss,  saw the unique little white flecks through glittering and innocent eyes.

Elizabeth watched over the three children of different ages, with a forced smile. By the time the second morning had rolled around there was enough snow for them to really enjoy. Between Beth and Carl, who could be classed more as teenagers than children, the makings of a snowman was well on its way. 

Even so, the worry that Benjamin would be left out wasn't present as he stayed crouched close to the ground, searching for stone buttons.

Somehow the innocence only found in childhood still remained, though on a stretched thin wire. It concerned all the parents and siblings of the group to think that one day the kids won't know how to do anything more than survive.

Out of everyone, it worried Elizabeth the most. Her son wasn't even four years old yet and already he knew the dangers that came with making sound. The last thing she wanted was a mature child to remind her of how the world has changed for the worst.

At the current time, Elizabeth's bruises had healed but the same couldn't be said for her arm. The pain lessened with time but still made helping the others gather necessary items from abandoned houses incredibly hard.

Instead she was placed on watch duty most of the time. Their latest residence was located in a small drive through town, it was made up of older, less modern houses that sat decently apart. 

After scavenging through the neighbouring houses, Rick settled for a more cozy building on the outskirts of the town. The place itself was a one story house of which held a front and back door with minimal windows. The cars were parked conveniently off to the side, easily accessible from the open backyard.

It was the most ideal building for a nights rest and the most efficient when needing a hasty retreat. What wasn't taken into account was how well insulated the house was. By the time night fell the breeze had picked up and the group realised a little too late that they couldn't have chosen a more drafty building than that one.

Everyone sat rigid, the walls groaning to life with each passing second. No one made a sound except for little Benjamin who quietly wheezed as the air grew colder and he found it increasingly harder to breathe. 

Elizabeth held her son close to her side, monitoring him and his symptoms pedantically. 

"Here baby." she whispered, lifting the asthma puffer to his lips, patiently waiting for him to notice.

When he looked up, his attention fell straight to the familiar object in his mother's hands. He might not have known exactly what it was, but he understood that it helped him to breathe better. Leaning forward, he welcomed the device and smiled; the wheezing had finally lessened to a stop.

"Thank you, mamma!" 

Sighing, Elizabeth leant back against the entryway leading to the lounge room. Her shoulders sagged with relief that the harsh sound was gone and her boy could once again breathe with ease. With Benjamin tucked under her left arm and the group muttering silently to themselves off towards the right in their smaller families, she found her eyelids falling shut.